Tenets of Kuraijima

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The Tenets of Kuraijima

Basic Tenets

All actions taken in one's life are measured, though not just in life, but in the after-life as well. How one behaves during ones time in the world, especially towards other nobles, is always gauged and applied directly to oneself, whether now, or later. Apply in all things a high moral code, and you shall surely be rewarded.

Depending on how well one adheres to that code will help determine and guide where ones core essence is sent upon ones death, before potentially moving on to ones next life. These are the basic Tenets of Kuraijima, the force which measures ones worth and ones deeds. Perhaps even the Will of the Kuraijima itself. Yet it is not quite enough to just be valorous and upstanding, for acknowledging and striving towards realizing the truth of how things are is the next step. And so, this is the goal of the Tenets. To raise awareness of that most universal of truths, accept how things really are, and realize that there is much yet to do on that path.


The Realms of Existence Between Life and Death

Advanced Tenets

Geldisius, the Gaping Darkness

The Betrayers are sent here upon death to relive all the actions they took in mortal life, except from the perspective of those they impacted, one at a time until they accept what they have done to each one. Many never do and so the punishment is endless and cyclical.

Mrelganfjar, the Realm of Chaos

The Unworthy are sent here upon death, and some few come from Geldisius. Mostly, time is not really relevant here. It is a primordial soup more or less, of thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Some are conscious, others not. Unlike Geldisius, where the only sensations are thoughts and feelings, there is some perception of physicality, though no real hunger nor physical desires. As well, it's said rarely, but not never, one may encounter another spirit drifting through the chaos. Though it's anybodys guess whether they would be 'awake' or not, as 'awareness' is as sporadic and unpredictable as the realm itself. Some mortal heroes and leaders who only followed their own glory and ambition but didn't inflict any particularly heinous crimes, are sent here to await a day they might be inspired again and reborn in another form. It's said most souls here are eventually reborn, but theories abound that perhaps that isn't always the case and instead they are reabsorbed into the chaos.

Baalspeszimus, the Eternal In Between

Few intentionally try to achieve the high moral standards of the Tenets. For those who try and fail to reach the lofty heights, or those who are just especially virtuous but non-believers, they often end up in Baalspesz. Here, they retain their identities, though they often slowly lose their memories of their experiences in the world of the living. Sometimes, depending on their success in the next life, or world, as the ideas are intertwined here- not every life must be on the same world- they can either retain particularly poignant experiences or memories and "take those with them", thus progressing the spirit even further, as motivations and experiences build up from one life to the next.

Mellistraza, the Gateway aka "the Holy Door"

Those who persevere and follow the rigid path laid before them by the Tenets achieve a new awareness of how their actions impact the world around them in a positive or negative way, treating Virtue much like a currency, banking on the idea that they have finally achieved Miervana- meaning "free of debt". When these individuals pass into the next life or world, they often fully maintain their sense of awareness and identity, as well as often finding themselves in well-to-do situations that give them the opportunity to continue helping others. Though Mellistraza itself is a mystery, beyond being the Gateway that joins all realms, it is thought that many dieties and legendary heroes reside near here for a time, in another connected place know as Valispar. Both these places are for those who have achieved Miervana. The gateway is for those who wish to risk it all again by passing through the gateway to help others in other worlds, while Valispar is for those who are content to help "from a distance".

Valispar, Hall of the Ayeither

Within the Tenets, there is Miervana, "to be free of debt", and there is "Carthiosis" which is essentially being "wealthy" in Kuraijima. Passing through the Gate is a riskier proposition overall, as all mortal experiences can corrupt and theoretically ultimately could prevent one from returning to the Gate during the next death. This is one reason children are said to be innocent, as a child will almost never have memories of their former life, and so, cannot gain or lose debt, accordingly. This is also why the minimum age to join the order officially is around sixteen.

Eventually, in Valispar, there exists no distinction between "dieties" and those who have gathered enough Kuraijima or "Celestial Credit" to "become dieties", though of course this can only happen from Valispar. That is why it's believed that Many here take worshipers of their own, though others may simply observe the affairs of the living. It's widely believed that because many souls are not ready to believe the universal truth of Kuraijima, these Celestials present as Dieties in order to facilitate their path to either rebirth or Mirvana, so that upon their death, they will have a better chance of at least getting into Baalspezimus.

The Ultimate Enemy aka "The Nameless Enemy" aka Oblivion

Whether the path of the Holy Gate or the path of the Ayeither, all of the Celestials work towards a common goal; to eventually defeat the Great Nameless Enemy before the End of All Things.

The Great Nameless Enemy is connected to many ideas; Nothingness, the Void, Erasure, the End of All Things, Oblivion, and so on. It is said that even dieties fear the eventual end of all things, and only by continuing to exist (over and over) can such an end hope to be avoided by existence itself and those who live in it. To that end, some say that mortals were originally created as extensions of Existence itself, and that there is no Creator save for Existence itself. Only a few radicals still believe in the mysterious figure known as The One Maker, but that is a fringe belief long abandoned in modern scripture.